Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted
3 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

If the parks are cutting back on services or open dates, then the next logical step is to give them away to private industry who will pay America a small royalty but only after all of their "costs" are covered.

The parks system already operates at a "net profit" from what I understand because they charge admission fees. Fucking them up or making them unattractive destinations is the opposite of making something productive. They're also a huge tourist draw and the cities near them draw tremendous economic benefit. Lots of foreign tourists come to the US to experience the parks so there would be large ripple effects. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Chad Fuck said:

…It’s just gonna be me and Born to Hobble out there, ain’t, it?

giphy.gif

Bro; i rehabbed my knee in 2021; Im spry AF from the waste down.  Ask your mother.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Posted
11 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

We were planning on driving to California this summer - we were going to be in El Paso for a wedding and decided we could extend it into a trip since it's closer to our friends in San Diego than it is to Houston, and it would be cool to hit a bunch of the national parks in California and then on the way back (Grand Canyon, etc.)

A friend of mine who works in for the National Park Service and who knew of our plans just sent us a message saying that he was told he can be fired or he can resign this week (I'm guessing it's a difference in benefits, but he didn't elaborate). Really sharp dude who is well-educated and well-connected in the business world and won't have a problem finding a job elsewhere - he's one of those types who got bored with the daily grind and changed things up after COVID, and his wife is an attorney with a big firm in California. He's not a park ranger, but he worked with the parks at the 35,000 foot level (I'm being vague on purpose). No idea if he's going to quit or make them fire him and take them to court, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's the latter.

Anyways, he told us to go ahead and cancel any plans we had for visiting national parks this summer - he said any that weren't outright closed were going to be so understaffed that the number of visitors allowed in would be a fraction of their capacity, and he said it was all very deliberately planned, and the only thing that could stop it would be Congress.  

I am not going to ask him to elaborate until he is fired or whatever, but I trust him to know what he's talking about when he used the phrase "deliberately planned".

Musk has a hard-on for the NPS and some of the other agencies, and he is truly trying to hurt them as badly as he can, and daring Congress to stop him.

rip lobo

  • Like 1
Posted
On 2/23/2025 at 7:29 AM, Francisco 2.0 said:

 

 

Maybe he’s manually adding that British diver that saved those kids so Musk called him a pedo and got sued for defamation? You know, because musk didn’t get to use a submersible robot or whatever and be the hero. 

Posted

So the Atlantic has an article up mentioning that Musk’s little directive caused havoc, especially with intelligence agencies whose work is classified, and that the White House made it a voluntary response.  There’s now some “daylight” between Musk and the WH as they put it. Guess Trump is mad at him, and now that his directive was muzzled, he will probably be pissed at looking impotent.

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Haha 1
Posted
12 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

So the Atlantic has an article up mentioning that Musk’s little directive caused havoc, especially with intelligence agencies whose work is classified, and that the White House made it a voluntary response.  There’s now some “daylight” between Musk and the WH as they put it. Guess Trump is mad at him, and now that his directive was muzzled, he will probably be pissed at looking impotent.

The foot sucking video might have been the trigger TBH. 

If it's what you say I love it.

  • Haha 1
Posted
23 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

So the Atlantic has an article up mentioning that Musk’s little directive caused havoc, especially with intelligence agencies whose work is classified, and that the White House made it a voluntary response.  There’s now some “daylight” between Musk and the WH as they put it. Guess Trump is mad at him, and now that his directive was muzzled, he will probably be pissed at looking impotent.

When you're too stupid to be Trumps friend...

Maybe he can beat off in a cup and give it to Laura Loomer.

Posted

Seems like a conflict of interests......

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/25/business/musk-faa-starlink-contract/index.html

Spoiler

The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to upgrade the information technology networks it uses to manage US airspace, raising new concerns about conflicts of interest for CEO Elon Musk in one of his other roles, that of recommending funding cuts at federal agencies, including the FAA.

The size of this contract was not immediately reported. SpaceX is a privately held space technology company greatly dependent on federal contracts, primarily from NASA. Its Starlink satellite internet provides service for government and private customers around the world.

The contract comes while Musk is leading efforts to make deep cuts in federal government spending, including staffing cuts at the FAA, and some critics are raising questions about conflicts of interest over his role overseeing government agencies that are supposed to be regulating his businesses.

Musk, a key supporter of President Donald Trump during the last election, is heading the Department of Government Efficiency, making moves to cut federal staff in the name of eliminating waste and fraud.

The FAA in a post on Musk’s social media platform X disclosed Monday night that it is testing one Starlink terminal at its Atlantic City, New Jersey, facility, and two in what it called “non-safety critical sites” in Alaska.

“Alaska has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community,” it said in the post. “The 2024 FAA reauthorization required the FAA to fix telecommunications connections to fix those needs.”

The FAA’s use of Starlink was first reported by Bloomberg. That report said it would eventually include 4,000 Starlink terminals and be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months.

There is no dispute that the FAA’s various computer and communications systems are badly in need of an upgrade. A December report by the Government Accountability Office was entitled “Urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging systems.”

Soon after the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA “remake our airspace” and “do it quickly.”

The FAA already has a contract with Verizon to upgrade its information technology networks. In a post on X Monday, Musk said “The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk.”

Musk has numerous business interests that are overseen by federal agencies. Beyond the FAA and NASA, he is also regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He has often clashed with several of those agencies over the years.

But his businesses, including SpaceX, Tesla and others, also have benefited from numerous government programs and regulations over the years, which has made him the richest man on the planet. Without early support for Tesla from low interest loans, tax credits for buyers of its electric vehicles and the sale of regulatory credits to other legacy automakers trying to comply with federal emission rules, Tesla, the major source of his wealth, might not exist today.

In prepared remarks for a House committee hearing on the topic of mining in space, University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush and now also serves as the Vice Chair of government watchdog Citizens for Responsible and Ethics in Washington, argued that space mining could eventually make Musk significantly richer.

Space mining poses a “serious risk” of new conflicts of interest given NASA’s likely role in the future of space mining and Musk’s duties in the Trump administration.

SpaceX has a contract to launch a probe later this week for a space exploration company called AstroForge that hopes do to a flyby of an asteroid as a test in the hopes of eventually mining for minerals in space.

Musk should be required to “publicly disclose his financial information like every other senior official in the White House,” said Painter’s prepared remarks. Calling him a “special government employee” as he has been designated to avoid him having to make his financial interests public is a “charade” according to Painter, a frequent critic of Trump.

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Rage+1 6
Posted
1 minute ago, Ghost of NMAS said:

Yes, I would feel completely comfortable flying knowing that Leon could just shut down air traffic control on a whim

Just wait until Starlink us used for all the DOD drones.

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
  • Rage+1 1
Posted
25 minutes ago, speed817 said:

Seems like a conflict of interests......

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/25/business/musk-faa-starlink-contract/index.html

  Reveal hidden contents

The Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to upgrade the information technology networks it uses to manage US airspace, raising new concerns about conflicts of interest for CEO Elon Musk in one of his other roles, that of recommending funding cuts at federal agencies, including the FAA.

The size of this contract was not immediately reported. SpaceX is a privately held space technology company greatly dependent on federal contracts, primarily from NASA. Its Starlink satellite internet provides service for government and private customers around the world.

The contract comes while Musk is leading efforts to make deep cuts in federal government spending, including staffing cuts at the FAA, and some critics are raising questions about conflicts of interest over his role overseeing government agencies that are supposed to be regulating his businesses.

Musk, a key supporter of President Donald Trump during the last election, is heading the Department of Government Efficiency, making moves to cut federal staff in the name of eliminating waste and fraud.

The FAA in a post on Musk’s social media platform X disclosed Monday night that it is testing one Starlink terminal at its Atlantic City, New Jersey, facility, and two in what it called “non-safety critical sites” in Alaska.

“Alaska has long had issues with reliable weather information for the aviation community,” it said in the post. “The 2024 FAA reauthorization required the FAA to fix telecommunications connections to fix those needs.”

The FAA’s use of Starlink was first reported by Bloomberg. That report said it would eventually include 4,000 Starlink terminals and be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months.

There is no dispute that the FAA’s various computer and communications systems are badly in need of an upgrade. A December report by the Government Accountability Office was entitled “Urgent FAA actions are needed to modernize aging systems.”

Soon after the fatal crash of a military helicopter and a regional jet on final approach to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that he had had discussions with Musk and that he was going to help the FAA “remake our airspace” and “do it quickly.”

The FAA already has a contract with Verizon to upgrade its information technology networks. In a post on X Monday, Musk said “The Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk.”

Musk has numerous business interests that are overseen by federal agencies. Beyond the FAA and NASA, he is also regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He has often clashed with several of those agencies over the years.

But his businesses, including SpaceX, Tesla and others, also have benefited from numerous government programs and regulations over the years, which has made him the richest man on the planet. Without early support for Tesla from low interest loans, tax credits for buyers of its electric vehicles and the sale of regulatory credits to other legacy automakers trying to comply with federal emission rules, Tesla, the major source of his wealth, might not exist today.

In prepared remarks for a House committee hearing on the topic of mining in space, University of Minnesota law professor Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush and now also serves as the Vice Chair of government watchdog Citizens for Responsible and Ethics in Washington, argued that space mining could eventually make Musk significantly richer.

Space mining poses a “serious risk” of new conflicts of interest given NASA’s likely role in the future of space mining and Musk’s duties in the Trump administration.

SpaceX has a contract to launch a probe later this week for a space exploration company called AstroForge that hopes do to a flyby of an asteroid as a test in the hopes of eventually mining for minerals in space.

Musk should be required to “publicly disclose his financial information like every other senior official in the White House,” said Painter’s prepared remarks. Calling him a “special government employee” as he has been designated to avoid him having to make his financial interests public is a “charade” according to Painter, a frequent critic of Trump.

 

And the contract was already awarded to Verizon. Either we are going to pay to rip starlink out or we are going to pay Verizon a shit ton of money. Hey I found some government waste after all

  • Hook 'Em 5
  • Like 1
Posted
29 minutes ago, Ghost of NMAS said:

Yes, I would feel completely comfortable flying knowing that Leon could just shut down air traffic control on a whim

28 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Just wait until Starlink us used for all the DOD drones.

And just wait until we find out the Russians reverse-engineered/hacked the Starlink systems they use.

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Posted
1 hour ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Absolutely.  People need to understand that things like the National Parks, libraries, city green spaces, good public schools, museums— are an affront to Elon and his ilk.  They truly hate the fact that something like America’s Crown Jewels are just there available for basically anyone to enjoy.  Exclusivity becomes the highest value of being extraordinarily wealthy and nothing can be a bigger flex than ensuring only the supremely wealthy have anything approaching a decent quality of life. 
 

The super-rich literally cannot enjoy the view from Big Bend’s Window with the knowledge that you can enjoy the same view.  

Dems really need to consistently message this to the public. “They hate you and want you to suffer for not worshipping them.” We need to make them The Enemy.

  • Hook 'Em 7
  • Like 2
Posted

Carlsbad Caverns affected by federal layoffs | News | abqjournal.com

Tourists hoping to see Carlsbad Caverns National Park during its peak season in March may find that more challenging these days, potentially impacting the local economy.

The federal government laid off 14 out of 25 seasonal interpreter rangers — who lead tours of the caverns, man the information desk and sell tickets — according to a terminated employee who said Carlsbad Caverns may struggle to continue operation.

Additionally, 11 out of 14 seasonal workers were laid off, which may cause a concern during the cavern’s peak season, the person told the Journal.

Carlsbad Caverns has already ceased guided tours for 30 days, the person said, but believes it is the beginning of an indefinite pause on tours, among other things. Only self-guided tours are currently available.

All Lower Cave, King’s Palace and Slaughter Canyon guided tours have been canceled, according to Recreation.gov, a website where visitors can book tours.

“They were talking about having to possibly close a couple of days a week, so closing the gate, so nobody can get in,” the person, a former probationary employee, told the Journal. “Right now, they’re trying to do 30 days, but they don’t know if staffing is going to allow them to bring those back until they’re allowed to hire again.”

According to the former employee, Carlsbad Caverns hits a peak season in March. The source added that many people working in the oil and gas industry in the region invite their families down to Carlsbad, driving economic development.

“Their families come out and visit and there’s not a lot else to do, so they take them to the park,” the person said. “I know it will definitely affect that.”

Carlsbad Caverns National Park brought in nearly $32 million to the local economy and supported 359 jobs, according to a National Park Service report from 2023.

In 2023, the caverns brought in 384,121 visitors, and 98.6% of visitors, and therefore visitor spending, were not local.

“Such financial contributions significantly enhance the quality of life for Carlsbad residents,” the department added, “making the Caverns a vital economic engine for the community.”

-----

Carlsbad Caverns Timed Entry Reservation, Carlsbad Caverns National Park Tours - Recreation.gov

The following tours have been cancelled. We regret any inconvenience. 

  • Lower Cave
  • Kings Palace
  • Slaughter Canyon

Beginning on March 23, 2025, the 8:30 self-guided tours are cancelled.

Visitor center hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Last tickets will be sold at 2:15 p.m. 

-----

Hey kids, we can pay to enter the park, and then we can go and look at the entrance to the caverns, but we can't go in!

maxresdefault.jpg

 

  • Rage+1 4
Posted
11 minutes ago, Chopper said:

First Date Dating GIF by Originals

I don't make all of my purchasing decisions with an entirely clear conscience.  But several years ago after my best friend was one of the few people I knew who owned a Tesla, I entertained the idea of eventually getting one, because I like to get behind decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, he rarely had any maintenance issues, and it seemed like a pretty cool car.  

Now?  No fucking way I buy a Tesla.  But I'm skeptical that there are enough people like me who will make an appreciable dent in Tesla sales.  I still see them all over the place.

  • Hook 'Em 4
  • Rage+1 1
Posted
8 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I don't make all of my purchasing decisions with an entirely clear conscience.  But several years ago after my best friend was one of the few people I knew who owned a Tesla, I entertained the idea of eventually getting one, because I like to get behind decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, he rarely had any maintenance issues, and it seemed like a pretty cool car.  

Now?  No fucking way I buy a Tesla.  But I'm skeptical that there are enough people like me who will make an appreciable dent in Tesla sales.  I still see them all over the place.

Many more viable options now than 5-10 years ago.  I don’t expect every Tesla owner to have the ability to make a change, but I do expect EV shoppers to look elsewhere and find something that fits their needs. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 1
Posted
1 minute ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Many more viable options now than 5-10 years ago.  I don’t expect every Tesla owner to have the ability to make a change, but I do expect EV shoppers to look elsewhere and find something that fits their needs. 

True.  But seems like the other EV options are significantly more than the Tesla 3, which is cheaper than a lot of other standard gas-guzzling sedans.  Thankfully I'm not in the market for another couple years.

Posted
1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I don't make all of my purchasing decisions with an entirely clear conscience.  But several years ago after my best friend was one of the few people I knew who owned a Tesla, I entertained the idea of eventually getting one, because I like to get behind decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, he rarely had any maintenance issues, and it seemed like a pretty cool car.  

Now?  No fucking way I buy a Tesla.  But I'm skeptical that there are enough people like me who will make an appreciable dent in Tesla sales.  I still see them all over the place.

Whether it's "enough" is up for debate.  But you are hardly alone.  European EV sales surge and Tesla's cut almost in half.  Sweet!

 

  • Hook 'Em 5
  • Like 2
Posted
20 minutes ago, Parliament said:

TSLA's board of directors is not gonna be happy with him. (sarcasm)

 

They are irrelevant.  Mr market ultimately will fix it.  But meanwhile…

Angry Stop-Motion GIF by Fire Mountain Productions

Posted

I dove into the logic behind Musk and DOGE's quite lame AI projects, and chatted with the computer scientist and anthropologist @ali-alkhatib.com and the tech historian @histoftech.bsky.social to understand why they're pushing so much AI. 

And it goes beyond "they're lazy"—though that's part of it.

  • Hook 'Em 5
Posted
25 minutes ago, Chopper said:

I dove into the logic behind Musk and DOGE's quite lame AI projects, and chatted with the computer scientist and anthropologist @ali-alkhatib.com and the tech historian @histoftech.bsky.social to understand why they're pushing so much AI. 

And it goes beyond "they're lazy"—though that's part of it.

They don't want to be held accountable, so they have the AI make decisions and wash their hands of it.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
10 minutes ago, bolverk said:

They don't want to be held accountable, so they have the AI make decisions and wash their hands of it.

 

DotARd doesn't want to be held accountable, so he has Nazi bitch make decisions and washes his hands of it. 

Nazi bitch too stupid to realize. 

As is the general public. 

 

  • Hook 'Em 4
Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

DotARd doesn't want to be held accountable, so he has Nazi bitch make decisions and washes his hands of it. 

Nazi bitch too stupid to realize. 

As is the general public. 

 

Hey, it's how the mob works. They've just automated it for greater corruption efficiency.

Edited by bolverk
Posted
1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Many more viable options now than 5-10 years ago.  I don’t expect every Tesla owner to have the ability to make a change, but I do expect EV shoppers to look elsewhere and find something that fits their needs. 

Again, why is there no shareholder  suit against Elmo for destroying the brand and tanking sales? Dammit plaintiff bar!!

Posted
4 minutes ago, Gatorubet said:

Again, why is there no shareholder  suit against Elmo for destroying the brand and tanking sales? Dammit plaintiff bar!!

Because there’s not a huge stock price hit yet so the shareholders haven’t been injured by it?

Posted

I'm signed up as an early adopter of T Mobile's "Starlink on a phone" feature.  Living in the boonies this is something I've wanted for 25 years.  But it's Starlink.  And fuck Elon.  This is why we can't have nice things.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
13 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Because there’s not a huge stock price hit yet so the shareholders haven’t been injured by it?

Down 37% in two months?  Are we looking at the same stock?

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...